Seal for spaced goggle lenses



April 1 c. FISCHER SEAL FOR SPACED GOGGLE LENSES Fild'Jan. 8, 1942NVENTOR Charles Escher Bt/M A ORNEY' Patented Apr. 10, 19 45 UNITEDSTATES PATENT" OFFICE SBAQED GQGGLEI DENSEQ' Charles Eisghe r, New York,N. Application. January- 8, 1942; Serial Np.. 42535 1 Clams,

This invention relates to the -double lenses of goggles such as aviatorsand the like goggles, and particularly relates to the means for sealingthe space between the lenses against the access of extraneous air orvapors;

The present invention is an improvement overmy prior Patent No.2,130,127, dated September 13, 1988, for-Goggles. reference beingherebymade to said patent.

, My invention contemplates the provision of an efiective sealing;member composed of a prefabri sated ring offlexible resilient materialsubstantially u-shaped in cross-section and a separately pref-abri'catedmembercomparatively wide andthin and preferably of non-resilient metalin-. sertedinto the ringbetweenthe flanges thereof to shape theresilient ring and thereby to permit the quick and easy assembly of thelenses-with the thus assembled sealingmember; and the easy insertion ofthe assembled lenses and sealing member into the goggle frame.

The various objects of the invention will beclear from the descriptionwhich follows and from the drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a front view of the lens assembly, partly broken away to showthe component parts of the sealing member;

2 is a fragmentaryvertical section of= thesame taken on the line 2 2of-'Fig. 1.

Fig.- 3 is a similar vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of- Fig. 1

Fig. 4: is a front view of the flexible resilient ring as it appears inits prefabricated form and beforethe shaped metallic member has beeninserted thereinto.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the same takenent. The ringisdistorted longitudinally and;

transversely by the metal' member when they are assembled, and is alsodistorted laterally when assembled with the lenses in a manner later tobe described in detail.

Preferably, the ring I0 is made of rubber and. isprefabricated to assumea, generally circular form as shown in Fig; 4. In cross-section, the

ring-is U -shaped havinga pair of spaced legs orflanges t5, t6- joined=integrally b the web lr'l.

The flanges are preferably, though not neces-' sarily, somewhat reducedin thickness at their.

free edges l8 so that their outer walls may'taper slightly while theirinnerwal'ls l9, 2!) ar pref erably parallel in the original orundistorted form of the ring. Consequently, the overall thickness of thering at the web is greater-than the overall thicknessof the ring at thenormally free edges of theflanges, thereby providing excess material: atthe web fordistribution under compression in, the propen mannerto forman adequate seat as will appear from Figs; 2. and 3; Said ring beingflexible and resilient may. readily be distorted into the same shape asthat of the lenses l2 and: I 13: which are usually of the cylindricaltype and whicharealso shaped: in the general form ot an oval.

The member tlz, as has been hereinbefore in.-

dicated, is preferably made of sheet metal, theform 'even after it hasbeen assembled with the ring Ht. The final shaping may be. left to. thetime when the thus assembled sealing member is-arranged inv the. space Hbetween the lenses and: compressed by the. lenses which perform the,shaping of the sealing. member to. conform; tothecylindrica-lishape ofthelenses, v

The diameter-of thepreformedring ID in its original circular form islessthan the longestdiameter of the oval shaped member II. It will! nowbeunderstood'thatwhen the metallic. member- I I is inserted; intothe space22' between. the

= flanges; [5' and: t6 of the, ring I O; said ring is distorted late thesame generally oval shape asthat of; the member H and isstretchedaround: the membeixl l and is trictional lyselt-held: thereon: in its;stretched condition, without the necessityfor using adhesive'o'r anyothen holding or securing means whatever; It will also be understoodthat the metallic member may quickly and; easily be insertedbetween theflangesof' the rubber ring IDeand' into the space 2 21:0 form acompleteassembly therewith in a; much easier mannerand with muchlessexpenditure Off time and labor than when said memberis-made in theform of a core surrounded by rubber, as is disclosed in my said priorpatent. It will, further be seen that the rubber ring It] may beprefabricated in .its simple circular form with the proper space sembledsealing member being reinforced and self-maintained in its proper shapedoes not lose its shape when handled or lifted and for this Y reasonpermits economical assembly with the lenses. i

To arrange the sealing member in place, .it is merely laid on the outersurface 23 of the inner lens l3, occupying the peripheral portion ofsaid outer surface and flush with the edges thereof,

whereafter the lens I 2 is laid on the sealing memeber. The assembledlenses with the sealing member therebetween is then handled as a unitand inserted into the groove 24' provided therefor in I the frame I. Todo this, the lenses are squeezed. together against the yieldableysealing member.

The assembled lenses easily snap past the edge 25 of the frame and intothe groove provided,v

thereby to hold the assembly in place. i

It will be noted that on the compression of the sealing member in itsoperative position in the frame, the free edgeportions ofv the flangesl5 and I6 projecting beyond the metallic-mem ber H are pressed togetherintosthe position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, since said walls are ofgreater width than. that ofth member H. It will further be noted thatowing to the customary bevelling of the edges 26 of .the lenses,-

the space 2i at the peripheries of th lenses is enlarged as comparedwith the remainder of said space. However; since the thickness of thering l0 measured across the outermost part of the web thereof is greaterthan that of the space M,

the web I! is nevertheless compressed to a substantial extent andforcibly pressed against the bevelled edges .26, thereby forming aperfect seal therewith regardless of the irregularities which may existat said edges. While the'outer surface 21 of the web I! tends to assumea convex position under compression of the, web, th wall-of the framelimits the outward bulging of said web and aids incausing it to spreadlaterally. The

sealing member thereforenot only seals the spaceat the peripheraladjacent surfaces of the lenses l2 and I3, but if the sealing member isof sufficient diameter, it is forced against the wallof the frame grooveand also seals the space between the frame M and the bevelled: edges 26of said lenses. 1

From the above, it will be seen that I have provided a simple sealingmember consisting of a prefabricated rubber ring provided with a spacefor the reception of a'thin metallic reinforcing member of i the desiredoutline to be given the ring, which member distorts the ring into itsproper shape and permits the easy handling thereof by stiffening andreducing the flexibility of the assembly, whereby the assembly may beeasily positioned between the lenses. It will also be seen that uponsuch movement of the lenses toward each other, which is usual andcustomary in inserting the'rings into the frame of the goggles, the ringis nevertheless compressed at its inner part and forced at its outerpart against the frame and against the bevelled edges of the lensessufficiently to take up any irregularities in the formation either ofthe frame or of the lenses and thereby provides an efiicient sealingmember readily manipulated with the lenses as a unitary device when theparts are assembled into the goggle frames.

Any variation or modification of the invention described above whichdoes not depart from the spiritof the invention is intended to beincluded within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

. l. A sealing member adapted to be arranged between a pair of spacedgoggle lenses to seal the space therebetween, said member comprising aprefabricated rubber ring of U-shaped cross-section having a pair ofsubstantially parallel spaced flanges and a web integrally joining theflanges,

and an annular relatively thin sheet metallic member, the width of themetallic member being a pluralityof times greater than the thicknessthereof, the shapes of the inner and outer edges of :the metallicmember, being different from the normal undistorted shape of the ring,said metallic member being arranged in the space between the flanges ofthe rubber ring and in frictional contact with the weband distortingsaid ring to-conform the shape of the ring to the shape of the metallicmember.

2. A sealing member adapted to be arranged in contact with theperipheral portions of the adjacent faces of a pair of spaced gogglelenses. said sealing member comprising a normally circular rubber ringof U-shaped cross-section, and a comparatively thin but wide andlaterally flexible and imperforate annular and non-circular metallicmember of less width of material than that of the ring, the unstretchedcircumferential length of the ring being less than the correspondingcigcumferential'length of the metallic member, said ring beingstretchedover the metallic member to increase its circumferential length andconcealing said metallic member, and said metallic member reinforcingand stiffening the ring.

flexible resilient material and of U-shaped crosssection having a pairof spaced flanges and a web integrally'joining the flanges, and anannular metallic member arranged frictionally between the flanges andwith the outer edge thereof adjacent the web, said metallic memberhaving a greater circumferential length than that of the inner edge ofthe web and stretching and distorting the ring member and therebyholding the ring member thereon.

4. A normally circular ring of flexible resilient material and ofU-shaped cross-section having a pair of spaced flanges and a webintegrally joining the flanges, and an annular non-circular metallicmember arranged betweenthefianges and with the outer edge thereofadjacent the web, the overall length of said member being greater thanthe normal inner diameter of the web of the ring, and the width of thematerial-of the metallic member measured between the inner andouter'peripheral edges thereof being less than the width of the flanges,whereby the free inner edge portions of said flanges extend past themetallic member in theassembled positions ,of said ring and metallicmember.

5. In a sealing member, a normally circular rubber ring of U-shapedcross-section having normally spaced flanges, and a non-circularmetallic reinforcing member having a length greater than the outerdiameter of the ring, said mem- 3. A normally circular sealing ringmember of ber being arranged frictionally and removably in the spacebetween the flanges and distorting the ring into a shape other thancircular and maintaining the ring in its distorted shape.

6. In a sealing member, a rubber ring of U- shaped cross-section havinga pair of spaced flanges integrally joined by a web, and an annularmetallic member of approximately oval shape having its length greaterthan the outer diameter of the ring, said metallic member beinginsertedfrictionally within the ring between the flanges and against the web andthereby distorting the ring from its normal shape to approximately theoval shape of the member, said metallic member stretching the ring tohold the ring assembled with the metallic member solely by friction andfor manipulation thereof as a unit.

7. In goggles having a grooved frame and a pair of spaced lenses ofapproximately oval shape, a sealing member for the edge portion of thespace between the lenses, said sealing member comprising a metallicannular member of approximately oval shape, a ring of normally circularshape and of U-shaped cross-section stretched lenses.

8. In goggles, the combination of a pair of spaced lenses and a groovedframe for the reception .of the lenses, a sealing member comprising acompressible rubber ring having a pair of spaced flanges, and an annularmetallic member of flexible sheet material of less width than that ofthe flanges, and of less thickness than that of the flanges, saidmetallic member being loosely inserted between the flanges and againstthe web, said flanges being compressed by the lenses against themetallic member when the lenses with the sealing member therebetween areinserted in the groove of th frame, the remainder of the ring beingspread against the edges of the lenses and against the frame to seal thespace between the lenses. I

9. In goggles, a frame provided with a lensreceiving groove, a pair oflenses arranged in laterally spaced relation within the groove, each ofthe lenses having bevelled edges, and a compressible sealing memberarranged between the lenses to seal the space therebetween, said sealingmember comprising a rubber ring having a pair of normally spaced flangeswhen the ring is fre of compression, and a preformed annular metallicmember of substantially the same shape as that of thelenses, thematerial of said metallic member being of less width than that of theflanges and being arranged frictionally between the flanges, saidflanges being compressed on the insertion of the lenses and sealingmember in the groove, and the remainder of the ring engaging thebevelled surface of the lense and the adjacent surface of the framegroove. 7

10. The combination with a goggle frame having an annular lens receivinggroove therein, of a pair of laterally spaced lenses having bevellededges fitted into the groove, an elastic sealing member between theperipheral portions of the lenses, said member having a pair of normallyspaced flanges each having a free edge and a web integrally joiningtheother edges of the flanges, the web being spread against the bevellededges of the lenseswhen the lenses and the member are assembled in thegroove, and a thin flexible annular metallic member removably insertedbetween the flanges, the normally free edge portions of the flangesextending beyond the metallic member. I

11. The combination with a goggle frame hav ing an internal lensreceiving groove therein, of a pair of laterally spaced lenses of thecylindrical type fitted into the groove, bevelled edges on the lenses, arubber sealing member between the peripheral portions of the lenses,said member having an outer web and .a pair of normally spaced flangesprovided with normally free edge portions, the web being spread againstthe bevelled edges of the lenses when the lenses and the member areassembled in the groove, and a second normally flat laterallydistortable member of annular form arranged between the flanges andagainst the web and stretching the rubber member and thereby holding therubber member thereon, the second member and the rubber member beingbent as a unit by said lenses out of the normal planes of said members.

CHARLES FISCHER.

